Scintillation materials are scientifically and economically significant in conjunction with photodetectors to detect high-energy photons, electrons and other particles in various applications, including medical imaging, geological exploration, homeland security, and high-energy physics. In radiation detectors/imaging devices, scintillation material (for example, cerium-doped scintillators) may be used. Certain characteristics are desirable in these scintillators, in order to maximize their value in these applications. In general, high scintillation light yield, fast scintillation kinetics (both in decay time and rise time), good energy resolution, a high degree of proportionality, and relative insensitivity to ambient light exposure are desired.
To these ends, it is desirable to obtain a composition of scintillator free or relatively free of electron/hole traps and other defects that may impede the scintillation process, and/or reduce the undesirable effects of traps and defects in scintillators.